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AFRICA: First-ever survey of underground water resources
Experts are aiming to tap Africa's massive underground resources to tackle
the continent's water crisis, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Geohydrologists from more than 20 countries have conducted the first ever
continental survey of enormous underground water pools - known as aquifers - in
Africa.
The team of experts met in Tripoli as part of a project by the United Nations
Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO). The scientists will
create the first ever global map and inventory of the aquifers.
One huge aquifer - which could fill a pool the size of Germany several hundred
metres deep - lies under the desert sands of Libya, Egypt, Chad and Sudan, a
UNESCO press release said. The new African survey has uncovered about 20
trans-boundary aquifers, five of which have never been identified before.
"Like rivers, aquifers cross national borders and can be shared by two or
more countries," the UNESCO statement said. "Unlike rivers, little is
known about these shared or trans-boundary aquifers.
"Substantial investment and scientific expertise is required just to
identify or map the boundaries of an aquifer before beginning to accurately
assess the quantity and quality of water it contains."
UNESCO - which named the project Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources (ISARM)
- believes that if properly tapped, the water could help millions of people on
the continent.
But, it says, major hurdles must be overcome before the resources can be tapped.
Some governments are reluctant to admit to other countries they have huge water
reservoirs. Furthermore, there are no laws to govern the shared water pools
which can stretch for thousands of kilometres passing beneath several countries.
"This legal vacuum can generate considerable misunderstanding and
tension," the organisation said. It warned that countries could scramble to
use as much water a possible fearing a more powerful neighbour might tap the
resource.
"Trans-boundary aquifers are therefore potential 'hotspots' or sources of
conflict, especially in arid regions where fierce competition for water
resources will intensify in the future because of population growth and the
expected impact of climate change," UNESCO said.
[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's
IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations.] Contact e-mail: IRIN@ocha.unon.org
http://www.irinnews.org
Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2002
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